Understanding the Concept:
The Tyndall effect shows up as a visible beam of light passing through a medium, caused by particles scattering the light sideways toward the observer's eye.
Key Formula or Approach:
Three kinds of mixtures can be compared by their particle size: true solutions (particles under 1 nanometre), colloids (1 to 1000 nanometres), and suspensions (over 1000 nanometres, often visible to the naked eye).
Detailed Explanation:
True solutions cannot scatter light because their particles are far smaller than the wavelength of light. Suspensions have particles large enough to scatter light too, but they are also heavy enough to settle out of the medium over time, so any scattering is temporary and inconsistent. Colloidal particles are the right size to scatter light strongly while staying suspended indefinitely because they are light enough to be kept moving by collisions with the surrounding medium's molecules. This combination is why the beam of a projector through smoky air, or a torch through milk, stays visible over time.
Final Answer:
Colloidal solutions are the ones that exhibit the Tyndall effect.